Barcelona – Eat – Drink – Do

If Barcelona were a cocktail, it’d be a mixologist’s dream.

Bright and colourful aspects, sparkly, funky architecture, with enough greenery for garnish and enough spice for the perfect balance. Here’s a few options for ingesting and appreciating Barna in Barcelona.

Coffee and Cafes – where to go for breakfast/brunch/lunch

Not that long ago it was hard to find somewhere nice to eat breakfast. Your options were usually limited to croissants, jamon rolls or a pastry, but over the years hipster cafes have sprouted all over the place and brunch is the thing to do (probably because they don’t get out of bed until after 10am). Barcelona has some great coffee spots. While coffee is generally cheap and easy to get from a bakery or small cafe, some places do it better.

Lunch/Dinner

Some places are really good for either lunch or dinner, Barcelona has amazing food, and because it is so multicultural, often some great places serve food that is not Spanish. It is also really easy to grab a good meal on the go, bakeries all around are pretty good.

FOC (F) Really good Latin style food, brunch, lunch and dinner, a very hip vibe, good meat, good drinks. Near the beach on the main strip. I recommend: Huevos Rancheros, Papas de Yuca. There is a lot I have not tried but it all looks good (The Cevice was a bit sweet)Passeig Joan Borbó Comte Barceló, 66, 08003 Barcelona

Bun Bo – Vietnamese (G, H)

There are two of these, one in Gotico and one in Raval. Really good cheap Vietnamese, good lunch sets too. I like the Pho, tasting plate for 2 and Bun (rice noodles with veggies and yummy sauces).

Bo de B (I) A very well known sandwich place next to the main post office on the way to the beach. Expect to line up, the food is great and very cheap. If eating take away get the chicken or beef sandwich (3.50 euro) which they cook up quick with loads of toppings and sauces, adding feta is good. If you eat in the chicken salad is tops.Carrer de la Fusteria, 14, 08002 Barcelona

Oviso (J) A cool place in Placa Trippi (or Placa George Orwell on a map) with good food and a good craft beer menu. Service is not always the best but I still enjoy it. Popular day and night, also a convenient late night spot to eat.Carrer Arai, 5, 08002 Barcelona

Bacoa Burgers (K) Now a chain, grand burgers with a lot of options. These are now all around Barcelona. They are all tasty, filling and reasonably priced.

Dinner

Les Quinze Nits (L) You will often find a large line out front of this place, it moves quick. The food is gourmet, with a mix of cuisines and very reasonably priced, especially for its location. I recommend: Patata Bravas (best I have had), squid with black ink mayo, the lamb, it is a good place to get a few things and share.08002, Plaça Reial, 6, 08002 Barcelona, Spain

N.A.P (M)

This place serves Neapolitan Authentic Pizza, and is my favourite pizza ever. The menu is small but the quality of ingredients and simplicity of the food makes it what it is. I love the Ricotta Calzone and they have specials you can try too.Carrer de Gombau, 30, 08003 Barcelona, Spain

Blai Street (N)

This is a famous street in the Poble Sec area which is lined with Pintxos (Basque style tapas) bars. Pintxos are usually 1 euro so just walk from bar to bar and try some with a beer/wine/cava at each stop. A cheap night with great food.Carrer Blai

El Nacional (P) This place is really cool, newly renovated, a huge room full of different restaurants (but owned by one restaurant), each one specialising in different food (seafood, meat, tapas yum cha). I have only been to the tapas place, bars are nice – extravagant interior and food.Passeig de Gràcia, 24 Bis, 08007

Drinks

Barcelona has a great night life, you will find every street has something different to offer. Some places are traditional, some are weird and themed, but you will always have somewhere to drink. It is not hard to find a bar, but I like these.

Carrer Merce in the Gothic area is a great street with a lot of cool bars. One famous drink you will find on this street is Leche de Pantera (Panther’s milk) which comes in blanco (white) or rosa (pink), the white is better. While we don’t know what exactly is in it, it is delicious and strong, making it a dangerous concoction. It is served in a bottle for 10 euros with small glasses and cinnamon for you to sprinkle on top.

La Plata (R)

This small place does not look like much, but it fills up quick and is a very cool spot. They do not serve much, but you have to go for the Pescaditos (small fried fish, the best I have had) and wash them down with a Perron of wine (blanco, rosado or tinto) which you pour into your mouth from a height. The salad is also good.Carrer de la Mercé, 28, 08002 Barcelona

La Tasca el Corral (S)

One of my favourite bars in Barcelona and where we go for Leche de Pantera. It is quaint, legs of jamon hang from the roof and the walls are covered in knick knacks. Try the leche, otherwise glasses of Vermut (vermouth – fortified wine) are only 1 euro (this is very popular to drink in the day). The food is also good. Get the Pan con Tomate, Chorizo a la Sidra (chorizo cooked in cider) or Chorizo al Diablo (served flaming). This is directly across from La Plata, so hit them both!Carrer de la Mercè, 17, 08002 Barcelona

Moritz – El 300 del Born (U) Moritz is beer made in Barcelona, they have a tapas bar in El Born which is also at an archeological site. It is an interesting place to get a drink and the tapas are really good.Plaça Comercial, 12, 08003 Barcelona

Sweets

Barcelona is full of ice cream shops, churros bars and cake shops, but here are some I recommend.

Farggi Borne Vintage (X) Gelato – Not a huge variety which is good because of what they have they all sounds and taste amazing. You can also get desserts like crepes.Passeig del Born, 32, 08003 Barcelona

Sites to see

Sagrada Familia– for obvious reasons, pre book tickets online so you don’t line up.Boqueria Market– A must see market of fresh produce, go there on an empty stomach and prepare to eat a lot of yummy stuff. good for photos.Palau de la Música Catalana – A beautiful building, book a show, great acoustics.Park Guell– A little bit out, free entry except to some partsPark Cuitadella– A short walk from your hotel, a beautiful park with a lot going on.Monumental – The old bull ring, now a museum. Moorish style.Montjuic – You can walk up, there is a castle, means Jewish Mountain (there is a Jewish cemetery up there)Gothic Area – Just walk around, visit shops, interesting area but very popular.El Born– A nicer area, more upper class. Great for foodies, a lot of bars, beautiful buildings. Has a lot of good tapas/pinxos bars. Also good for shoppingEl Raval – A bit more seedy but interesting and thriving. Like Redfern, it has been gradually cleaned up and has a lot of cool bars and cafes with a young, grungy feel.Casa Mila and Casa Batllo – Both on Passeige de gracia close to each other, Gaudi buildings.